The Singer and Investigator
by RIKOREN
Summary: SUMMARY INSIDE. FULL ICHIHIME!
1. Chapter 1

_**SUMMARY: **Orihime hasn't been to school for three days and Ichigo wonders why, he decides to investigate over at her home, but when he arrives, a portal envelopes him and he finds himself in 1926, without his Shingami powers, in the Private Investigator profession, can he use his deductive reasoning to find Orihime?_

**_A/N: _**_If you do not loike the plot or the character plot, then do not read this fic. This is specifically IchigoXOrihime. You have been warned. _

**_DISCLAIMER: _**_All belongs to the genius himself, Kubo-sensei. _

**_ 'He could feel her Spiritual Pressure emananting from within the room, but it felt...old, as if it was just lingering around.'_**

* * *

**_PROLOGUE:_**

**_Missing._**

* * *

Ichigo looked around the familiar classroom, looking for a certain bubbly character. "Hey, Tatsuki, where's Inoue?" The orange-haired Substitute Shinigami asked his short haired friend. He noted that Tatsuki looked more on edge than ever, her hair unkempt and her uniform rumpled, as if she hadn't ironed it properly or just threw it on without a second glance to her appearance.

"I haven't heard a thing from her." Tatsuki Arisawa spoke softly, her eyes dull, as if there was no life in them, like Orihime brought that happiness to her.

"She could be sick? Maybe she's gone to the doctor's while you visited." Ichigo suggested, looking at Tatsuki with concerned chocolate eyes.

"Maybe." Tatsuki agreed, but Ichigo knew she didn't think so.

After a normal day of school, Ichigo decided to show up at Orihime's home. He walked up the stairs and went to her apartment, knocking softly on the door. "Inoue? It's Kurosaki Ichigo. Are you home?" Ichigo felt like an idiot, talking to the door. He knocked again. "Inoue?"

No answer from inside.

Ichigo grabbed the handle of the door and it swung open slightly, the door wasn't even closed.

Fear gripped the orange-haired Shinigami and he ran inside. "INOUE!" He screamed, running around her house, looking for the bubbly healer, but her presence was nowhere in the room. He could feel her Spiritual Pressure emananting from within the room, but it felt...old, as if it was just lingering around.

"Inoue-chan.." He whispered softly, touching the pink blanket that covered her futon, it smelled of her scent.

Like sweet strawberries and red-bean paste, he found it to be an amazing combination that was totally unique, just like her.

Then he felt a strange power, it was pulsing and twirling around him, it felt like it was pushing against his skin, wrapping around his body like a whip. "What the.." Ichigo said, his eyes wide as the invisible cabled tightened around him. _'Is this Sai? The Bakudo spell that Rukia used on me when we first met? No, I don't feel it's different power, it's something else..different.'_

Then Ichigo's body started to move, his legs were tightly bound together but still, the cords that held him firmly in place started to move. "WHAT THE HELL!?" He screamed, trying to break the cords, but his Spiritual Pressure couldn't destroy said cords. Ichigo's eyes widened. He was trapped.

Never had he felt so helpless, so _scared_ in his life! It was pathetic!

_'Pathetic!'_

Ichigo couldn't fight the cords.

_'Pathetic!'_

He now saw the swirling black void that he was about to enter, a sound a faint roaring sound greeted his ears.

"**PATHETIC!"** Ichigo screamed, and then everything went black as Ichigo lost consciousness.

{}

"Hnn, hum, hnn!" A sweet voice hummed, her dress was golden, with diamonities and the split of the dress revealed the sides of soft, cream thighs.

Her hair was worn in a tight bun, her bangs swishing around her face and she wore an intricate headpiece that complimented her outfit, she walked into the bar and smiled. "Good evening!" She spoke and waved at the people surrounding her in the speakeasy.

_'Ah Inoue-san!'_

_'Good evening Inoue-san!'_

_'Welcome back, Inoue-san!'_

Orihime Inoue stood in the limelight of the bar and took the stage, raising the microphone to her full red lips, her sweet, melodic voice captured everyone.

**_"Blackbird, blackbird singing the blues all day.  
Right outside of my door.  
Blackbird, blackbird who do you sit and say.  
There's no sunshine in store."  
_**

Many of the audience whooped at the familiar song she sang.

**_"All through the winter you hung around.  
Now I begin to feel homeward bound.  
Blackbird, blackbird gotta be on my way.  
Where there's sunshine galore."_**

Orihime's beautiful voice crooned the familiar lyrics of the song of 1926.

_**"Pack up all my care and woe.  
Here I go, singing low.  
Bye bye blackbird.  
Where somebody waits for me.  
Sugar's sweet, so is she.  
Bye bye blackbird."**_

Her eyes closed as her body swayed with the tune of the cello and the piano.

_**"No one here can love and understand me.  
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me.  
Make my bed and light the light.  
I'll arrive late tonight.  
Blackbird, bye bye**_.

_**I've been longing for you.**_  
_**Bluebird bluebird what do I hear you say.**_  
_**Skies are turning to blue.**_

_**I'm like a flower that's fading here.**_  
_**Where ev'ry hour is one long tear.**_  
_**Bluebird bluebird this is my lucky day.**_  
_**Now my dreams will come true.**_

_**Pack up all my care and woe.**_  
_**Here I go, singing low.**_  
_**Bye bye blackbird.**_  
_**Where somebody waits for me.**_  
_**Sugar's sweet, so is she.**_  
_**Bye bye blackbird.**_

_**No one here can love and understand me.**_  
_**Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me.**_  
_**Make my bed and light the light.**_  
_**I'll arrive late tonight.**_  
_**Blackbird, bye bye."**_

The song ended with her bowing modestly and everyone cheered and whistled as her song ended. Roses were thrown up on the stage, Orihime had been showered with rose petals before walking off stage and she went to the bartender, where men had line up to buy her an alcoholic beverage, but her new friend, Roger, the bartender pushed them back while talking to her.

"Now, Orihime-chan, that was some great tunes, water with a lemon twist and extra ice?" Omi Tanaka asked, smiling endearingly at her.

"Domo arigato Tanaka-san!" Orihime smiled sweetly at her friend.

"Coming right up!"

Orihime waited patiently, though her mind started to wonder. _'I hope Kurosaki-kun, Tatsuki-chan, Rukia-san, Sado-kun and Ishida-kun aren't worried about me.'_

{}

Wearing a black, three piece suit with a fedora hat plonked on top of his spiky hair, he looked at the woman before him. "Say that again?"

"I want you to trail this woman! I believe she is having an affair with my husband, she's a speakeasy singer afterall, it wouldn't beneath her!" The older woman turned her nose up. "I had this photo taken by a friend of mine who is a photographer for the Karakura Times, he tailed my husband to this bar and he was with this woman!" She threw the black and white image onto his desk and stared at it with wide eyes.

"Yes, she's a looker, but she is devious! I want her away from my husband!"

His fingers traced the photograph of the woman. "Arigato.." He looked at her file. "Yamashita-san, I will investigate this further."

Mrs Yamashita took her leave, walking out the door and closing it, in big bold letters upon the stained glass read:

_**PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR**_

_**ICHIGO KUROSAKI.**_

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bye Bye Blackbird. **

**Hey guys! RIKOREN here! What did you guys think? I am so incapable of doing one-shots, it's physically impossible!**

**Anyway, I am updating Cold Heart and The Struggle of Life as well as A Quiet Feeling and Another Life.**

**You know how much I love reviews so please do!**

**Review, Favourite, Follow if you haven't already!**

**ARIGATO!**

**RIKOREN!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**SUMMARY: **Orihime hasn't been to school for three days and Ichigo wonders why, he decides to investigate over at her home, but when he arrives, a portal envelopes him and he finds himself in 1926, without his Shingami powers, in the Private Investigator profession, can he use his deductive reasoning to find Orihime?_

**_A/N: _**_If you do not like the plot or the character plot, then do not read this fic. This is specifically IchigoXOrihime. You have been warned. _

**_DISCLAIMER: _**_All belongs to the genius himself, Kubo-sensei. _

**_ 'He could feel her Spiritual Pressure emanating from within the room, but it felt...old, as if it was just lingering around.'_**

* * *

**_CHAPTER 1:_**

**_Hide._**

* * *

Orihime finished her usual rounds at The Blue Twist and she was heading home, her white fur coat wrapped around her shoulders and torso, smiling happily. "If only Tatsuki-chan were here with me, we'd have so much fun!" Orihime jumped and twisted gracefully in the air, her blue hairpins holding her hair up, she felt their tingling warmth and she sighed, knowing that her powers were sealed in this place, but she felt their presence whenever they warmed her head.

_'I wonder if Kurosaki-kun is okay. I could feel his Spiritual Pressure before, but then it disappeared, was he fighting?' _Orihime wondered, looking up at the sky. Why could she have felt it all the way across 9 decades ago? Is it possible that his power can reach recognition even here? He truly is the strongest Shinigami. Her modest heels clacked against the footpath as she sighed, thinking of her orange-haired hero.

"Poor Kurosaki-kun." Orihime whispered. It felt like years since she had last seen him, even though it must have been only three days. She missed him more than she missed everyone else. She missed her scowling faced, orange-haired savior.

"Inoue Orihime, I presume?" A voice called from in front of her, her head snapped up, she had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed the man.

His black hat covered his face, the shadows hid everything about him.

"W-who are you?" Orihime whispered, having heard of gangsters and being on guard.

"I'm your number one admirer." He said and held up a gun, pointing it to her chest. "And I won't let you be with anyone else! You have betrayed me and our love!"

This man was completely delusional.

"Excuse me, stranger-san. Please do not do anything rash." She said, the numb feeling of fear started to settle in, making her legs shake.

_'No! I will be strong! I will stay strong, just Kuchiki-san! and Kurosaki-kun!' _Orihime screamed in her head and walked towards the stranger wielding the deadly weapon, the dark abyss of the barrel beckoned her. Orihime's gray eyes watched him, the man's dull brown hair and dull eyes would not make him stand out in a crowd. Maybe that's why he's opted for violence.

"Stop! Don't come near me or I'll shoot! I promise!" He yelled, his hand holding the creation of death and destruction shook.

"No you won't. If I committed such an offence against you, and if you loved me so, you will not shoot, it's just an empty threat." Orihime said, using her newfound charm and wit. Tatsuki's mentor voice wafted in her brain, telling her the correct moves and techniques to disarm the man and temporarily incapicitate him long enough for her to throw the gun away and flee.

_'Just a little closer..' _Orihime thought and she took a half step back, her hands ready, her stance defensive, yet invisible to the untrained eye. Her back was slightly arched, tense, her legs parted by a fraction, her shoulders pulled back and her hands open, fingers hooked like claws.

"Orihime-chan.." The stranger whispered, his eyes half-open, darkened with unrestrained passion, his hands reached for hers.

_'An opening! Take him down now!' _Tatsuki's voice ordered Orihime, and her body snapped into action without a moments hesitation, just like her best friend taught her.

Her hooked fingers clasped around his wrists and she flicked the gun out of his hand, then using her body, she ducked under his arm and pulled it tightly against his back, making him cry out and her left heel pressed into the back of his knee.

All done with careful precision.

To Orihime, it was a slow process as she had practiced many times, yet, to the casual observer, the entire affair had lasted less that 10 seconds.

The stranger lifted his other arm and she quickly ground her heel into his knee, making him drop like a sack of potatoes and her hold on his arm ceased. He held his injured limb and Orihime fled the scene, kicking off her heels and ran barefoot to a dark corner, trembling as the adrenaline left her body and she fell to her knees, prone to the fear.

Her body shook.

Orihime heard the heavy footsteps of his close arrival and she pressed her hand to her mouth to effectively silence her ragged breath, breathing calmly and silently through her nose.

He ran straight past her and Orihime waited until his footsteps receded into the distance.

Orihime poked her head out and quickly scooped up her shoes and flagged down the nearest taxi that passed by, telling the man her preferred destination, he drove her obediently to the desired location.

* * *

He watched, calculating eyes assessed her as she stumbled into the taxi with easy grace. Even when exhausted and horrified, she was still gorgeous. He lowered the camera, he had gotten very interesting photos.

One when she was walking to the offender.

Another when she incapacitated said offender, multiple photographs to relay every technique.

And one other when she was going to the taxi.

She was beautiful.

He had to watch her, watch her every move, study her daily timetable, what she does every day. What her routine is, her favourite song, favourite food, favourite everything.

The only thing was, he knew everything about her.

He knew every single thing that happens in her daily life.

In her sleeping patterns. He should know, he had spent more than his fair share of an evening, after exorcising hollows, he would watch Orihime after sneaking in through the window, for hours.

There was always a reason he didn't show up to school often, and that was because he was too tired to think of anything but _Inoue. _

"Inoue Orihime. Hime-chan. I'm here, don't worry." Ichigo whispered and took off his hat and stepped out of the dark alleyway and watched the car drive away, seeing his sweet _Hime-chan _drive off without a second glance to him.

There was always another time to exchange pleasantries, maybe after he finished this job.

Kurosaki Ichigo grinned, putting his dark hat back on, which hid his spiky orange hair, he knew that if he walked out in public without a hat, Orihime would spot him immediately, if not faster.

* * *

Orihime dreamt of him, his chocolate brown eyes, orange hair, muscular build from Shinigami training, peach skin, unflawed or blemished.

His strong, calloused hands ran up and down her naked hips in a pleasurable sensation, which gave her a shiver from her spine to _there. _

His sweet lips, tasting of berries and _Ichi-kun. _Just like she had fantasized

...

* * *

_**CLIFFHANGER!  
**_

_**What will happen in Orihime's dream? Or is it happening for real? Is he actually there?**_

_**Find out more in the next installment. **_

_**Review, Favourite and Follow if you aren't already xD **_

_**-Ichigo looks at me with wide eyes and berrytasting lips- **_

_**Ichigo: I think you went a little far, erase the last bit, and the bit where I watch her in bed. I don't do that!**_

_**-Ichigo goes red-**_

_**Riko: Your a liar Kurosaki-san. Everyone knows you watch her.**_

_**Ichigo: Shut the fuck up REN-SAN!**_

_**Riko- Bye now!**_

_**-I do the peace sign and wink-**_

_**Arigatou!**_

_**RIKOREN xD**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**SUMMARY: **Orihime hasn't been to school for three days and Ichigo wonders why, he decides to investigate over at her home, but when he arrives, a portal envelopes him and he finds himself in 1926, without his Shingami powers, in the Private Investigator profession, can he use his deductive reasoning to find Orihime?_

**_A/N: _**_If you do not like the plot or the character plot, then do not read this fic. This is specifically IchigoXOrihime. You have been warned. _

**_DISCLAIMER: _**_All belongs to the genius himself, Kubo-sensei and I do not own **It Had To Be You.**_

**_ 'He could feel her Spiritual Pressure emanating from within the room, but it felt...old, as if it was just lingering around.'_**

* * *

**_CHAPTER 2:_**

**_Scent of a Strawberry_**

* * *

_'Did you see that handsome man that came in here? Wonder why he wore that hat, he must look so much more handsome without it.'_

_'Yeah, I see what you mean, one look from those dark eyes and he had me swooning! I'd have loved for him to hear me sing. Apparently he's looking for a girl. Says she's important to him. **Very **important.' _

_'Really? Should we ask next time we see him?'_

_'What are the chances of that Hana-chan? He probably never saw her in here and is now trying somewhere else.'_

_'Yeah . . I guess you're right Atsuko-chan, but you know . . I hope he finds her, it looks as if he's really worried about her, as if his life depended on finding her.'_

Orihime listened to the conversation between Hana and Atsuko, a few of her colleagues who sang as well, it sounded so much like Kurosaki-kun, yet she knew it couldn't be true, Kurosaki-kun probably thinks that she's on one of her expeditions trying to find the little blue men's safe haven, to stop their evil plans of stealing all of the red-bean pasted donuts filled with wasabi. Her eyes sparkled with her favourite food. . . she couldn't have it here.

But then again, Kurosaki-kun wouldn't be thinking like that at all. He must be very worried about her.

_**'And now, please put your hands together for the amazing, talented and gorgeous Inoue Orihime~!"** _The MC announced and Orihime took a deep breath, bringing her signature smile forth, she walked to the stage and looked upon her audience with tenderness.

"Ohayo! I am Inoue Orihime for those of you who do not know me. I am a regular singer here and I wish to convey my thoughts through this song I have had a lot on my mind."

A certain hatted man cocked his head to the side, while making sure his face remained unseen, listening to her soft melodious voice.

Orihime took a shaky breath and steeled her nerves, and the orchestra played.

_'It had to be you, it had to be you  
I wandered around and finally found  
The somebody who  
__could make me be true  
Could make me be blue  
and even be glad, just to be sad  
Thinking of you'_

The man listened to her sweet, sweet voice crooning to the song and his eyes widened as he knew what she was singing about, who she was singing about.

_'Some others I've seen,  
might never be mean  
Might never be cross or try to be boss  
But they wouldn't do  
for nobody else gave me a thrill  
With all your faults I love you still  
It had to be you, wonderful you, it had to be you'_

Then the orchestra lifted the tempo and a male dancer joined Orihime and together, they took the stage.

Jealousy burned in the pit of his stomach, but he found it impossible to turn his gaze from her. Her long reddish-orange hair flew around her in a curtain. A silky, soft curtain of loveliness, with the scent of her favourite fragrance:

Vanilla, strawberry cinnamon shampoo and conditioner.

He could smell it from where he was at the bar, downing his whisky shot in one gulp, the burning liquid scalded his throat and he welcomed the acidic boil, it got his mind off of dangerous memories, he still had to get paid and as much as he wanted to get close to Inoue, to hold her close, to tell her that she was safe, to kiss her soft lips as he had done last night. (He was going to surprise her with the money he would be gifted with his client and he would buy a whole bunch of strawberries covered in chocolate and wasabi along with red-bean paste and bring her a dozen roses.) Having snuck into her apartment with his newfound lock-picking skills, he watched her sleep like he used to, only it was much more _illegal_. Yet when her strawberry-coloured lips parted to let a soft sigh escape, he had to taste her.

And so he had, and by Kami did he want to taste that sweet confection once more.

The spice of wasabi, the sweet undertone of red-bean paste and sour contrast of strawberries. He had come undone by just that deed and he was hungry for more.

And when Kurosaki Ichigo is hungry, he always found a way to satisfy himself.

_Always. _

The song ended and Inoue took a step back from her dance partner and bowed gracefully, the audience clapped, many whooped and asked for another song, along with the excited audience, Ichigo also clapped but painfully denied himself of speech, she would pick his voice above the rest. He was sure of it.

Inoue gracefully declined -much to his disappointment- and walked to the bar. His heart fluttered as she walked closer, his lips parted and his eyes followed every sway, every tense and bunch in her muscles, the way her hair bounced from side to side freely and for a moment, he had a vision of her walking in her Karakura uniform. His heart beat so fast it hurt.

Sharply, his hand smacked against his chest, to stop him from going into cardiac arrest. Orihime's eyes immediately turned straight toward him, her eyes connected with his hand on his heart, her gray eyes assessed the position and changed course, walking straight toward him.

_'Uh-oh. Not good.' _Ichigo thought and stood up, towering over her easily as he stood stiffly and walked away quickly.

"Wait! Wait!' Orihime yelled, running after him.

Ichigo pretended not to hear her and walked out of the Blue Violet.

_"WAIT ONE MINUTE!"_ Orihime yelled sternly, causing Ichigo to stop in surprise.

"When a lady tells you to wait, you do not ignore her. Do you understand me? I don't care who you are." Orihime's facial expression turned into that of a scowl.

It seems staying with Tatsuki really did rub off on Orihime, in more than ways than one.

"I'm sorry Inoue-san. Please continue." Ichigo said, raising his voice and putting on a southern drawl to stop her from suspecting.

"Are you okay? What's wrong? You were holding your chest!" Orihime spoke, all traces of firmness and command draining away, her eyes softened and shimmered slightly.

"I'm perfectly alright, Inoue-san. You're a very nice person to care for a stranger." Every word he said was like a blade piercing his heart over and over again.

"Thank you, but I'm doing what I think is right." Orihime said. "I protect my friends. A good friend of mine taught me that a long time ago." Orihime said and her eyes threatened to overflow with sympathetic tears as she remembered the Kurosaki-kun who was right in front of her.

Ichigo's eyes widened underneath the brim of his hat. "Really?" He asked, feigning indifference.

"Yes. He's an amazing friend. I had hoped to tell him something, but I left before I had the chance." Orihime reminisced, looking toward the sky with a slight smile on her lips.

"What was it you wanted to-" The wind picked up suddenly, blowing Ichigo's hat off his head.

"SHIT!" Ichigo yelled, dropping all pretence of a southern accent and tried to hide his vibrant hair.

_He wanted to surprise Inoue!_

* * *

**Hey guys. Cliffhanger! Muhahahahahahahahaha!**

**Do you think Ichigo will hide in time and cover up his sudden lapse in accent? Or will Orihime figure it out? ;)**

**Orhime: Figure it out! I wanna be a Nancy Drew RIKO-chan!**

**RIKOREN: Give me a moment Inoue-chan. I still have to figure out what will actually happen next episode. I mean Ichigo was being a pervert. Who watches women sleep?**

**Ichigo: WHAT THE HELL!? YOU MADE ME! YOUR WROTE DOWN WHAT I'VE DONE! I'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE!**

_*****_**looks unfazed at Ichigo***

**RIKOREN: Pervert. **

***orihime blushes as looks away***

**Ichigo: SHUT UP!**

**RIKOREN: Whatever you say, _pervert-san. _**

**Ichigo: Why you-!**

***Orihime rejects Ichigo's attack***

**We'll see you next time. review, follow and favourite if you haven't already!**

**RIKOREN xD**

***Orihime heals Ichigo and they kiss secretly, yet I get it on video* MUAHAHAH!**

**Orihime + Ichigo: EHH!?**


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